Woman attacked by shark while swimming in Hawaii; officials say shark 'still in the area'

A woman was bitten twice by a shark while swimming in Hawaii, police said.

The woman, 27, was swimming in the waters off of Napoopoo Park in Kealakekua Bay at around 8 a.m. Tuesday when a shark with a grey tip bit her, according to the Hawaii Police Department.

She was transported to Kona Community Hospital with injuries to her lower back and right hip area, but police said she was in “good health” and expected to be released.  

Officials didn't provide her name.

The bay will remain closed until at least noon Wednesday. Shark warning signs were posted on both sides of Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park.

Hawaii Fire Department Battalion Chief William Bergin told the Associated Press that the woman was about 50 yards from the shore when the attack occurred. Bergin didn't know whether the woman was a tourist or a Hawaii resident.

"The shark is still in the area, so we're trying to get people out of the water at this time," he told the AP on Tuesday. 

Bergin said he was told it was possibly a 6-foot black-tip reef shark.

French couple facing six years in jail after police say they stole sand from a beach in Italy

Vacation nightmare:Trio of sharks kills California college student snorkeling in the Bahamas

"According to local fishermen, this time of year there's a lot of fish in the area, so it does attract a lot of sharks and dolphins birthing," Bergin said.

The high surf also makes for poor visibility in the water, he said.

This was the ninth shark encounter reported by state officials this year, including one that was fatal.

A 65-year-old man from California died after a shark bit him while he was swimming off a Maui beach park in May. Last week, a surfer in turbid water off Oahu's western coast escaped injuries when a shark chomped on his surfboard.

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File, there were 66 confirmed cases of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide, with four fatalities in 2018.

Shark Attack File Program Manager Tyler Bowling says the organization doesn't release official 2019 numbers until the end of the year as cases are still under investigation. 

However, he said that they're currently looking at about 40 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide, which is close to last year's numbers.

"Florida and Hawaii have seen a slight increase in bites this year, but not enough that would be considered significant," Bowling added. 

Contributing: Associated Press. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.